On February 18, 2021, Twitter joined the Silicon Valley Leadership group by signing on to the 25×25 Pledge.

The 25×25 Pledge challenges companies to increase their diversity in leadership positions in their companies with a goal of filling 25% of leadership positions with hires from underrepresented groups by 2025 or by making a pledge that leadership roles from underrepresented groups will increase by 25% by the year 2025.

State law requiring diversity on corporate boards of publicly traded companies defined “underrepresented groups” as someone who self-identifies as Black, African American, Hispanic, Latino, Asian, Pacific Islander, Native American, Native Hawaiian or Alaska Native, or who self-identifies as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender.

The self-identify component brings to mind Rachel Dolezal and others who identify as Black but are not, in fact, Black.

“We’re proud to join the 25×25 pledge, which expands on our bold vision for workforce representation and commitment to inclusion and diversity programs to accelerate progress,” said Dalana Brand, vice president of People Experience and head of Inclusion and Diversity at Twitter.

“Twitter’s purpose is to serve the public conversation and we’re committed to making sure our company reflects the diversity of people who use the service.

“Twitter has long been a groundbreaker in Silicon Valley and a driver of the important conversations in our culture.  By taking the 25×25 pledge, they propel the conversation of inclusion and show themselves to be one of the most forward-thinking, action-oriented companies in diversity and representation in our industry,” Brand said. “This is all about action to make our leading companies stronger at the end of the day.  We’re proud to have them alongside so many of our member companies at this historic moment of reckoning, on diversity and representation.”

Other organizations taking the pledge include Alaska Airlines, Bay Area Council, Equilar, Facebook, Flex, Foothill De Anza College, Listo, Lumentum, NAACP (California & Hawaii), Santa Clara University, San Francisco 49ers, San Francisco Chronicle, Stanford Lucille Packard Children’s Hospital, SunPower, United Airlines, Western Digital and Zoom.

California Sen. Alex Padilla spoke at the Diversity Forward Conference by the Silicon Valley Leadership group on February 19 and said:  “[j]ust embracing the dialogue in this and agreeing that it is important to diversify your individual companies and organizations at all levels.  If you have something to brag about in terms of diversity, you know, why wait for it to be a mandated requirement for you to report it?  Show us where you are and show us the progress that you’re making.”

For more information about 25×25 visit Pledge25x25.org.

The San Francisco Chronicle, Pledge25x25.org and SVLG.org were sources for this report.

Kiki

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